Reviews by philipt:

Skullsplitter is among my favorites. But, I'm puzzled: is it a barley wine or a strong scottish ale? Either way it wouldn't stop me from drinking it.

Quite dark copper in color with a ruby tint. When poured, an average sized cream-tan head emerges. The smell is dominated by malt, particularly by a smoked malt aroma. The taste is initially quite sweet with a smoke-like, earthy tone. Hop bitterness is apparent, but not the focus of this beer. There is a definite alcohol burn as the beer runs down the throat, but not overbearing. A wonderful, creamy and thick mouthfeel. A pleasure to drink.

Rats: Little disappointed in this one, given the build-up. Bourbon or sherry esque in both the nose and the taste, with a very prominent and overpowering boozy presence. The booze aside, not a fan of the undercurrent flavor either, which was medicinally sweet-harsh. Believe the end of the glass was the best part of the pour, so warming did perhaps help. Still, found Belhaven's offering in this style to be far more drinkable.

This is by far my most favorite of Strong Scotch Ales. It has a creamy maltiness that is very appealing. A slight peat flavor comes through and the alcohol content of 8.5% ABV complements the malt sweetness nicely. I had this at the Hair of The Dog pub in Chattanooga, TN and really wish I could get this in Oklahoma.

Very appetizing amber colored beer with rich creamy head.Raisin-like aroma to it,kinda porty in taste to me with some dried fruit in there,alchol was prevalent ecspecially when it began to warm.Something to drink before bedtime.Really nice liked it alot.

Taste: ... different than what I was expecting from the smell. I really don't taste the booze. It's quite a bit sweeter than I would have anticipated, even after reading the bottle's flavor description. The "complex" descriptor on the bottle is very appropriate here - I definitely get some molasses here. Fruit notes. Definitely warming. Mmm.

Mouthfeel: Soft. Not an abrasive boozy or syrupy feel at all. Satiny.

Overall: Yes, I think I will be picking this up quite regularly for now on when I want to go with something that I know is going to be REALLY good yet unique. AND - as a bonus - reasonably priced for a 4 pack!

Appearance  This has the classic appearance of the Sotch Ale/Wee Heavy style. The head came up huge then went down pitting. The body is a deep, dark, ruby-brown color.

Smell  Man, does this ale wreek! The big aroma of dark, concentrated fruits soaked in rum and brandy come out in force. The malts are present underneath along with some alcohol notes as well.

Taste  The rum/raisin flavor comes out huge and overpowers the other fruits from the nose. Theres also a tartness in there. Maybe we soaked some apples in this batch? Anyway, its a very unique and interesting flavor, and a must try for any serious BA.

Mouthfeel  Flat, smooth, and full-bodied with a reminder of alcohol.

Drinkability  Everything I wrote about this ale comes together in the drinkability category. I dont feel that any one component is perfect, but together this is as good as it gets and deserves my highest, Drinkability, rating.

Update  I drink this on a regular basis but thought I should re-review it with an 04 bottle. My opinion hasnt changed one iota from my initial rating in September of 2003.

Bottle has changed a bit, still looks decent but I think I liked the old bottle better. Had this beer with some jalapeno chilli so it might have taken some taste away from the beer. Regardless I liked the beer, many flavors that my imprecise tongue could not put its finger on. A lot of fig/date type flavors. You don't really taste the alcohol. Color was a medium maple brown. Lacing clung to the side of the cup it was in. Little more into the beer and the alcohol makes a little bit of a presence as you might expect.
Overall good beer, and unique taste to it.

A: This is a fairly clear, medium amber beer with a long lasting tan head of less than a half finger cap on the beer.

S: This beer has a deep malty aroma with malt sweetness, some smokey and almost peaty aromas. There is a moderately-light caramel note in the background. There is the faint aroma of European hops aroma. There is some yeast derived dark fruit notes like plum with molasses and a light touch of alcohol flavor are in there as well.

T: A big malt flavor with a lot of malt sweetness followed by a dry roasted malt flavor. The hops flavor and bitterness are moderately low letting the malt and sweetness dominate the flavor. There is a very light pepper, some alcohol and some bitterness keeping the sweetness in check through the finish.

M: This is a thick, full bodied beer with moderate carbonation and a light alcohol warmth.

O: This malty, sweet and slightly smokey beer would make for a fine after dinner cordial. It's a fairly sweet beer but not cloyingly sweet with the alcohol and light bitterness keeping it in check.

SkullSpiltter Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. 8.5% alcohol
Poured into a pint glass. I was talking to someone at the store i was at and they recomended this beer so i tried it.

A- Pours a medium amber- brown fluid that produces a small tan head that falls to a ring around the glass and froth.

S- I getting some very light scents of dark fruits... plum, raisins and maybe dates. Very light I must repeat.

T-M- There it is the flavor says everything in one sip. The alcohol fuzes with rich burnt malts danky plums and massive raisin backbone.
Taste is simple but for what a Wee Heavy is in Scotland "get drunk and have it taste good". Perfect. Mouthfeel is warm with alcohol tingling with every carbonated bubble but in a good way... smooth.

D- Hell yeah its drinkable and it a Wee bit heavier than any sessionable beers... but hey session drinking can be done with this one be careful.

A careful pour yields a clear ruddy brown brew with a very nice foamy white head of 2-3 fingers in width. Head settles down but stays with the brew and leaves lacing all the way down the glass.

Aromas are of earthy malts with a touch of grassy hops. Aromas seem solid with good balance.

Sweet caramel malts were forward, fading slightly to allow something like dried cherries or similar fruitiness to come through. Hops aren't necessarily coming forward with flavor but you get the sense they are there simply because of the balance. The weight is nice too, and the carbonation is allows for an almost creaminess that all comes together well. nice.

Pours a deep rust color, no lacing. Tastes malty, with a nice raisin undertone, with a bit of dried fruit as well. Warming alcohol present. It really tastes almost like a thin barleywine. Not a bad beer, one I'd return to every once in a while, if it was't $2.50 for such a small bottle.

11.2oz bottle pours into my glass a deep garnet hue without much head, just some bubbles that quickly fade and some chunkers that I accidentally let fall into my glass. Aromas start with big sweet malt tones dominated by caramel, sweetbread, dried fruits, leather, tobacco and a mix of spicy tones. There's a vinous quality in the background as well. Really rich and inviting, it pulls me in for a sip.

First sip brings smooth sweet malts upfront that spiral into a vortex of deep fruits, caramel, sweetbread and spice. Earthy tones of tobacco and leather veer in midway though the sip. Just a touch of alcohol in the finish, this is one malty beast with a great depth of flavor. It does teeter on the line of being too sweet for me, but overall is very enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is lush and satiny smooth as the beer effortlessly flows down. Mellow carbonation adds to the ease of drinkability here. I can see how this would be dangerous as the alcohol is totally hidden. Overall, this is just a damn fine drink right here. Will be revisiting this and maybe getting some to age as well.

I can't say I know all that much about scotch ales, seeing as I've tried relatively few of them, but I was certainly fond of this one.

This beer is on the darker side, nicely attractive to look at. The alcohol is very present in the scent. I dont know if this is a good thing or not. It didnt bother me, but I guess that issue is just a matter of preference.

The taste - wow. There is a lot going on in this beer. It is rather hard to believe that this beer is only 8.5%. It seems a good bit stronger. I noticed too that it has that slightly-syrupy quality to it much like a barleywine. Very complex.

I dont think your average drinker could handle too many of these in a single session, but it is definitely worth your $$$ to pick up a six pack or
4 pack or however these are sold (I got mine at a bar - $4).

Thank you to Todd the beer guy at McKean and Charles in Waldoboro for getting me to try this. Other than the cool name, I'm not sure I would have bought this without his suggestion. A 330ml bottle poured into a pint glass, it was brown with red highlights, and had a small head. It had a peaty aroma, as well as a little bit of malt. Loved the taste. Bread, peat, alternatingly sweet and smoky. A really nice mouthful. Try this beer.